Richard Simmons: Boogie Down the Pounds

Finally, a workout that is a long, low impact, steady state cardio workout! I am pretty fit and I would call myself an intermediate exercise person. I usually use Jessica Smith, Denise Austin, Gilad or Leslie Sansone. I, absolutely, love disco and this was the only DVD that showed up when I did a disco fitness DVD search so I bought it. I knew of Richard Simmons (I'm 46) but had never seen him in action. To say I was highly skeptical of this DVD would be a MASSIVE understatement. However, I bought the tape Prime so figured I could return it if my initial concerns proved to be true. 2 minutes into the tape, I was like "OH, HELL, NO." It was so corny!!! I thought I had made a huge mistake! It's a very dated DVD and if you have never seen Richard Simmons in action...well, let me just say...the man is a mood!! But, I decided to stick it out and before the first song ended, I transformed into a huge fan!! This guy has a BEAUTIFUL energy and just a cool authenticity that is so rare today. You, honestly, can't help but smile through this entire workout. I went from thinking this DVD was super cheesy to really enjoying myself!! I thought it was neat that there was a diverse cast and also different sizes of people doing the workout which you NEVER see. I am sure that would be encouraging to people who maybe identify with a larger framed person. There were also both men and women. Would have preferred some people that have had many years of life but that is just my liberal, inclusive, kumbaya mindset talking!!I thought I could use this DVD for my fun "easy" day but I ended up getting somewhere between 6,000-6,250 steps (according to my Fitbit). Holy crap!!!! This tape is legit cardio!!!!!!!! Please be aware that you are moving the entire time with this workout! You need to hit pause for water breaks and please take them because you will be sweating!! Along with the constant movement, you are also moving you arms throughout the video which raises your heart rate. While you are doing the workout, you don’t really notice anything because you are having too much fun dancing and singing to the FANTASTIC music!!!I would highly recommend this tape to anyone at any fitness level. Beginners can just do what they can (don’t do arm movements and keep your steps smaller and your kicks low) and advanced exercises can make the moves a bit bigger, add jogs, full jacks, etc. I'm pleasantly surprised at how good- cardio wise- and also how much FUN this tape is!! Richard is quirky but you can't help but fall in love with this guy!!!! Love how he knew everyone's name and you could see that he, genuinely, liked and supported each person working out. I went from looking at him and the DVD with some *serious side eye* to falling in love with this man!! It's not often you find an effective exercise tape that is actually tons of fun even if it's the type of fun you close your blinds when you do!! Haha!! I would highly recommend!!!****UPDATE 2024**** I still do this workout regularly and highly recommend it! Also, I discovered he has another Disco dvd called Disco Sweat. I bought that one too and tried it. I don’t like it as much as this one and I never do that one anymore. The choreography was just way too hard for me to pick up. So, I have stuck to Boogie Down The Pounds which I STILL love and the choreography is easy for me to pick up- even with my two left feet!! I also bought all the Sweatin To The Oldies and Party Off The Pounds. Boogie Down The Pounds is still, hands down, my favorite Richard Simmons workout followed closely by the Sweatin series and Party Off The Pounds (80’s theme). However, if you are good with choreography or have a dance background then you would probably love Disco Sweat! Richard is a very unique person who is incredibly authentic and truly has an enormous heart. It’s that beautiful, positive energy of his that is so motivating! This is one of my best workout video purchases I ever made! It always makes me smile and I never dread doing it!! Happy Dancing!!!!!

Funny and easy way to get back in shape!

Love the music and the workout

As always, Richard delivers the best work out from home. Familiar steps with each video and he encourages you as you work out and not to give up. I love his check ins and it really moves the entire body.

This video is great if you are looking to work out with a low impact aerobic routine. As always, Richard Simmons is loud, motivating, and cheesy. An example of this is the beginning where everyone (including Richard) acts like they were "invited" to the disco by an unknown person and seemed shocked when the spotlights come on, but just start the routine. That gets old to watch EVERYTIME. The workout is great, but long. I tried the 60's blast off for a 30 minute workout with Simmons, but that video was awful. He can be hard to follow at times, but the moves aren't so difficult that you won't get it the second time. Just walk and move your arms. My hips hurt after doing this one from all the sideways kicking, but hurt in a good way. It's good if you have a lot to lose, like I do, but maybe if you are advanced you will find it too easy.

I love the positive energy of this DVD, no judgement and a lot movement.Purchased another for a friend.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Richard Simmons since he was kind of a joke when I was growing up, but I loved his energy and found the workout challenging and fun. He is encouraging and enjoyable and the music was great! Def recommend if you’re in the mood for some old school fun.

I just tried this for the first time tonight, and I loved it! It reminds me of the aerobics classes I went to in the 80s, where you followed the instructor without necessarily knowing where he or she was going next. There's not a lot of direction, but so what? The moves aren't that hard; I'm sure I'll have them down after doing this a few times. It's a great workout, and the time went by in a flash.This is not a workout for beginners. You'll need some cardio fitness first in order to keep up. There's also a lot of arm movement, so if you're not used to that, you'll need to work up to it. If you are a beginner and still want to do this workout, just start out doing 20 minutes or so and work up from there. It's so much fun, you'll have a blast!This is a wonderful, fun workout, and I can't wait to do it again tomorrow!